Overview

This epic battle of good versus evil set in charming, once-peaceful Narnia faithfully adapts C.S. Lewis's timeless novel and shares its powerful story with remarkable performances and dazzling special effects.

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Overview

This epic battle of good versus evil set in charming, once-peaceful Narnia faithfully adapts C.S. Lewis's timeless novel and shares its powerful story with remarkable performances and dazzling special effects.

Special Features

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble
- Donald Liebenson

There is a magical Oz-like moment near the beginning of The Chronicles of Narnia when Lucy Pevensie Georgie Henley, the youngest of four siblings evacuated from war-torn London to a house in the country, enters a wardrobe during a game of hide-and-seek and exits out the back into a winter wonderland. According to "The Children's Magical Journey," just one of the items that comprise the ten hours of bonus features on this two-disc edition, this effect was delightfully achieved by blindfolding the actress until the cameras rolled, so that she got her first glimpse of the Narnia backwoods at the same time her character did. Actually, "wonderland" might be overstating things. There are enchanted fauns and accommodating talking beavers wittily voiced by Ray Winstone and Dawn French, as well as the noble lion Aslan regally voiced by Liam Neeson. But there are also menacing wolves, an army of hideous creatures, and the very evil White Witch Tilda Swinton in a performance that is the stuff of nightmares. The White Witch dominates Narnia and intends to use Lucy's sullen brother Edmund Skandar Keynes in a plot against Aslan, who stands in the way of her absolute rule. The Pevensie children, including eldest brother Peter William Moseley and older sister Susan Anna Popplewell, are a believable quartet, which is essential given the fantasy trappings that surround them. The four must learn to stop bickering long enough fulfill the heroic destiny put upon them by Narnia's talking critters. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Makeup, Narnia is more family friendly than the Lord of the Rings films, and the players in its good-vs.-evil battle are more clearly defined. Still, with intense battle scenes, menacing encounters with the witch and her minions, and the seemingly fatal injuries suffered by major characters, it seems that the film pushes its PG rating to the limits.

All Movie Guide

This noble adaptation of C.S. Lewis' classic novel is both graceful and fun, employing many of the epic themes of the Lord of the Rings trilogy with a simpler, more child-friendly story. The studio may have shot itself in the foot when it went on a PR trip, extolling the Christian symbolism of the film's script in order to avoid a fundamentalist backlash against all subject matter dealing with magic. Without being forced to bear this apparent intention of the author in mind, the audience is in no way obligated to interpret the events of the film this directly. There is obvious spiritual and perhaps even moral subtext, but this is not a heavy-handed movie and the ultimate meaning is left up to the viewer. What is undeniable about the film is the fantastic depth of its young characters, sometimes surpassing Lord of the Rings in this regard, as Narnia doesn't require the intense mythological and historical backstory of Middle-earth, thus freeing up screen time for character development. Each of the film's young actors give performances that are real and organic, never relying on cuteness or sappiness for audience approval. This goes doubly for eight-year-old Georgie Henley, whose charm, talent, and ease could K.O. Dakota Fanning in a single round. Tilda Swinton surpasses already high expectations, playing the part of the evil White Witch with fascist sensibilities, narcissistic greed, and glam-rock style, so that both children and adults alike are likely to feel a combination of fear and hatred every time she enters a scene. A film adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia seemed like a natural step after the success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, since Hollywood loves to capitalize on a successful trend -- not to mention the fact that both works of literature were written around the same period of time, and that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were known to have been friends. The overall tone of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, however, is more suitable to younger viewers than the Lord of the Rings trilogy, containing far less violence and less generally dark material. The plot itself is also less complex, and the timeline is far simpler, but these changes do less to make the film unsuitable to adults and more to simply invite children to join its viewership.

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MUST READ FOR ALL AGES!!!!!!!!

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, written by C.S. Lewis, is an intense journey of four children as they escape their less then desirable earthily situation into a mystical magical world of adventure. As the kids struggle to understand themselves and their purpose they receive guidance by prominent wholesome characters who help them realize their true potential and purpose. Eventually, the children realize they will become what they make of themselves-"let us go on and take the adventure that shall fall to us" (p. 187)-which gives the book a great moral for all ages.

Unfortunately, the author starts the book off rather slowly but gains interest as the story line proceeds. There is also some violence, in a battle, at the end of the book. Other then that I would highly recommend this book to every age group. C.S. Lewis is really good at grabbing your attention and emotions and running with them. Once you get to the core of this book you will not be able to put it down. It is easy light reading and overall enjoyable. It is truly an escape to a different world.

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Adventures with Aslan

Enjoyable entertainment.
The storyline was wonderful and the action scenes were great. The imagery was vivid and captivating. The main characters will draw you in. Yet, beware the battle scenes are not for the weak at heart. You will enjoy this on a large screen with surround sound.

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TH40

Posted October 1, 2010

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is a story about four kids discovering an entirely different world, filled with adventure, thrills, danger, and more, by ACCIDENT, when playing a little game of hide and seek.
Edmond, Peter, Susan, and Lucy were forced to move away from London, to an old professor's mansion, due to the air-raids during the war. At first they found the huge house to be astonishing and thrilling, but after time boredom overcomes their spirit. Sitting around talking, the kids decide to play a game of hide and seek. Lucy, the youngest of the four, hides in a huge wardrobe. She backs up slowly, gradually, until she finds herself standing in snow, inside an entirely different world. There she meets a friend that she becomes close to. But when she returns through the wardrobe, the passage closes, and no time had passed from when she entered. Lucy tells her siblings and at first they don't believe her. A few days later though, all four of the children find themselves inside this mysterious world. Their, they become a royal family, as they battle the White Witch, with Aslan and the rest of the Narnian army to save the magical kingdom, as well as world. Written by C.S. Lewis.
As I read The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, I found it was very thrilling, exciting, and tear jerking. Each character had there own unique, interesting personality. The plot was a very exciting place that any kid as well as adult would like to be. I think the book was a product of a genius mastermind. This book, in a way, reminded me of the Harry Potter series. Although in my opinion The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, was a much better book.
Edmond, Peter, Susan, and Lucy were forced to move away from London, to an old professor's mansion, due to the air-raids during the war. There they discovered a new world, made of mysteries and dangers. They battled the White Witch to free the world of Narnia and became royalties in doing so. As I read The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, I found it was very thrilling, exciting, and tear jerking. Each character had there own unique, interesting personality. The plot was a very exciting place that any kid as well as adult would like to be. I think the book was a product of a genius mastermind. This book, in a way, reminded me of the Harry Potter series. Although in my opinion The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, was a much better book.
My opinion of this story, is that it is a very fun book to read. Honestly I think it is a story made for younger children but I enjoyed it very much. Out of five stars I would give it four.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

Addressing "The Dark Side of Narnia"

I signed in primarily to address the one who brought up Pullman's "Dark Side of Narnia" essay. I won't say much about the movie itself, but I did read the books, and even as a fairly "militant" atheist I see nothing particularly wrong with them. Lots of stories parallel biblical stories. Some of them are well told, some not. Narnia has some things in it that might be considered not PC today, but so do a lot of classics.<BR/><BR/>Pullman is being a bit of a nut about Narnia. Nevertheless, the Golden Compass is also excellent and rather deep, and some Christians overreact pretty strongly to it.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

I Also Recommend:

I <3 The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe!!!!

AMAZING movie with great graphics and effects...I AM OBSESSED!!!!! This is a first but, I think that I like these movies better than I like the books!!!! EVERYBODY should read this and MUST like it.

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EstherSwift

Posted October 1, 2010

I Also Recommend:

AWESOME MOVIE, one of my favorites

Even as a fifteen year old girl, I thought this movie was a great thriller, filled with action and suspense. I recommend this movie to everyone, young and old. The actors and actresses were really great and the scenery was amazing. Props to the director.

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Narnia Rules!

The Chronicles of Narnia- The lion, the witch and the wardrobe is an awesome movie. The actors did a fanastic job portraying the characters, the special effects were astounding, the adaption from the book to the screen was seamless, the soundtrack was filled with gorgeous music, and the shots (especially the battle scene) were mind-blowing!!! Adamson out did himself, i am simply in love with the movie. I never get tired of watching it! If you love the books, you will most definatly love this movie! <BR/>Watch this please, you will not be disappointed!

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

A reviewer

A big battle! The Chronicles of Narnia is a sad, scary and breath taking movie with a lion and 4 children and a witch. It all starts with a girl named Lucy and a faun named Mr. Tomnis. This movie should be watched by 8 years olds. Hope you enjoy the movie.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

A reviewer

This fantasy film is so good that it deserves a Blu-Ray release. I hope that it has the features of the Extended Edition.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

Great Movie

This is my second favorite movie of all time. It is so good! There is action, adventure, friendship, love, and hatred. The special effects are just as good as the story. Everyone should see this movie.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

fantastic movie and dvd

i love this movie! i've never actually read the books (but it's on my long to-do list!), but i saw a cartoon version of this book when i was younger. obviously this is better, due to better special effects and makeup/costumes. i actually felt that the 4 main actors in this film were much better than most of the ones in the harry potter films. the scenery is amazing, and i especially loved the battle scene because it's so cool to see both "people" and animals fighting against each other. this movie is sort of LOTR, but thankfully you don't have to sit for 3 hours like LOTR.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

mysticly wonderful!

I love this movie. My mom read the book to me when I was 7. When I heard that there was a movie about it I freaked out! !!!!!! My friend and I talk non-stop about it !!! The casting is amazing!! William , Anna, Skandar and Georgie are exactly like their characters!!! If you haven't seen this you're missing out. I have the movie memorized and I listen to the soundtrack all the time!

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

Long live Aslan!

Not my favorite movie of all time, but the movie was great. I also read the book. The battle scenes were good and so was the story. I enjoyed this movie.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

Awesome

I think this is a pretty good adaptation to C.S. Lewis' book. Considering the four kids are new to acting, they worked remarkably well together, they were very convincing as siblings. The special effects were well done, enhancing the feel of Narnia. Highly recommended for children and families, and the inner child in you!! Very enjoyable.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

I loved this movie!

I've been anticipating this movie ever since I read "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" in the third grade. I LOVE the chronicles of narnia c.s. lewis' writing is so powerful. This movie definitely gave credit to his novels. I was very satisfied with it, especially with the childrens' acting, since they're all new to it. Scander did an awesome job with his role of Edmund, accurately portraying the character's emotions and greediness throughout the film. Georgie, who played Lucy, was very good. All four of the children were excellent with imagining Aslan there, which even adult actors have trouble with. I loved Mr. Tumnus! The actor was perfect for the role. On a different note, I was a little disapointed with the White Witch. She just wasn't terrifying. It was a different sort of evil that the actress was trying to portray, but it didn't quite go through all the way. Where she was being quietly menacing, it almost seemed like she was being sweet or weak in some way. However, the sets were BEAUTIFUL, completely amazing..It really looked like they were in the wood, when they were actually on a giant set, and when crossing the river, the 'ice' was so believable! I give this movie five stars, and strongly recommend it to everyone. (I think little kids would like it too, although they might be a little frightened by the scene at the stone hill. You can tell when its coming though, so I don't think there'd be much of a problem with eye-covering if the kids did get scared).

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

One of the Best Movies Ever

I saw the previews for "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" and knew that I had to see it. I can honestly say that it's one of the best movies ever. It stays pretty accurate to the book. The actors did a fabulous job, and the sets were fantastic. It really made you believe that Narnia was a real place.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

Nice Fantasy Story…..

I’ve never read the original artwork by C.S. Lewis, so my review can by no means assess how true the movie actually is to the original. My kids enjoy this movie in certain areas and I find it quite interesting. ‘Narnia’ is a good film due to the books and not something that can be credited to the movie's producers. The fantasy and the power of magic that pervades the story might make any child's eyes gleam in admiration and amazement. This needs to be appreciated and makes ‘Narnia’ a nice Christmas movie too. The characters are somewhat indifferent, save for little Lucy played by Georgie Henley. The two male actors in particular seem a bit overcharged with the movie's scope. They act decently in a way that would definitely suffice for a movie of lesser dimension. This is probably due to a lack of sophistication in terms of the kids' acting skills. Maybe the casting department should have chosen more experienced actors instead of utter newcomers but they had to start somewhere. I can imagine what a challenge it was to process something as huge as Lewis' ‘Narnia.’ It seems to me that the producers wanted to jam as much input into the story as possible, which hampered the natural development of the plot. How can you expect the two boys being good at fighting with their swords in a huge battle? Why are the main characters rejuvenated when they re-enter the wardrobe? In addition some scenes were indeed very corny and too stereotypical for me - even young kids can expect a bit more. The deep emotions were not really convincingly, which brings me back to the inexperienced actors. What save ‘Narnia’ was the magic of it all. Talking animals, beautiful landscapes, funny dialogs, themes of redemption and courage - this is something to be appreciated, as it might inspire children and adults alike. The movie is an eye-catcher in terms of wonderful visualizations that does justice to Lewis' perception of ‘Narnia.’ The whole movie might have been a bit too childish, but it is not that bad as a whole. This unique story had room for improvement, but hopefully they can work at it the second time around.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

amazing

i love this movie. i can not wait for the next one. if you have not seen yet then you have too see. the speacil effects were just amazing.

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